Railworks America

A question for those who also enjoy watching trains:

Does anyone else out there wear earplugs while railfanning, or am I the only one? Maybe others aren't so bothered by the noise, but trains have left me half deaf on some occasions; not to mention that I tend to s**t myself when engineers give me an unexpected horn blast.

Brief exposure to loud noise of a train rushing by for a couple of minutes isn't any big deal. BUT...

Horseshoe curve can be deafening with the wheel grinding through the bend. If you plan on being there for several hours, I would recommend ear plugs then. The streams don't do it justice how loud the friction of metal on metal in a quarter mile long bend can be.

I haven't done any serious railfanning, but I have sat in my car at a crossing (on a straightaway) and it can be loud. Put in those earplugs and save your hearing!

It never hurts to protect your hearing, so if you are feeling you need to wear the plugs then by all means do it.